Consequences
by Laugh Until You Obitine
Summary: (Semi-AU) After witnessing the torturous murder of his beloved Duchess Satine, Obi-Wan Kenobi is lost and helpless to control his emotions. The only one left in the galaxy who can save him is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, on a reluctant visit to the friend he's sure is fine. Duchess Satine is only mentioned. Set directly after the Lawless. Obi-Wan is relatively OOC.


Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this. The format is new to me. ;)

Anyways, I will now recount a story that should be familiar to most of you: I was incredibly sad during the Lawless.

(Oooooh. Ahhhh.)

As you can probably tell from my name, I am quite the Obitine shipper- they're my OTP- and let's just say that "certain events approximately halfway through the episode" devastated me.

I wrote many stories to alleviate the aforementioned events, and this one (while it didn't solve the death) is the first I'm willing to share. Happy reading!

"Obi-Wan?"

Anakin pounded his clenched fist on the door a second time. "Open up!"

Not five minutes ago, Ahsoka had flagged him down, telling him that Obi-Wan had run out of the last council meeting.

In tears.

Naturally, at first, Anakin thought she was joking. To his former master, he was certain feelings were a stray thought, things to be brushed aside and forgotten about in the face of- well, _anything _else. Sometimes he suspected that Obi-Wan didn't have feelings at _all, _to be frank.

_If this is a prank, she had better watch her back._

Anakin had matched each syllable with a thud of his feet on the floor, thinking that he shouldn't have let Ahsoka had goad him into visiting Obi-Wan. Anakin was still certain she was wrong. Obi-Wan had to be fine.

"Go away!" He heard a muffled version of Obi-Wan's voice cry indignantly. Almost _uncharacteristically_. Later on, Anakin would recognize this remark as the first sign of trouble. For now, Anakin tried the handle, his confidence assurance of Obi-Wan's stability blatantly refusing to waver until a second hint.

_Huh. That's strange. Obi-Wan never locks his door. Maybe this isn't a joke. _

The realization flooded through him, panic locking him in place.

_Maybe Ahsoka was right. Maybe there is something wrong!_

"Master?"

The syrupy, frigid silence rushed at his understanding of the situation.

"I'm coming in!"

Anakin used the force on the door, retracting it with a satisfying swish.

Obi-Wan glared at him. "That's against the rules!"

"You say that like I've _ever _cared about the rules!" Anakin smirked as he walked through the door, throwing himself on the couch with the armrest at the bend of his knees and his head resting on the cushions.

"What are you doing?" Anakin asked in alarm as he saw the state of the room, his smirk melting and seating arrangement straightening. Obi-Wan's meager possessions had been strewn carelessly around the area of the room.

"Leaving." The brisk word flew from Obi-Wan's mouth.

"Leaving? But… but… why?" This caught Anakin completely off guard. If he was forced to choose two words to describe the Jedi Master at gunpoint, he would automatically select _rational _and _logical. _He was the last person Anakin would expect to pick up and _leave. _Plus, Obi-Wan had sacrificed _everything _to become a Jedi. Where would he even go?

"Where?" Anakin asked his last thought aloud, propelled to his feet by a mixture of curiosity and forethought.

"I'm not sure where he is. He'll probably have left Mandalore by now. He knows that I escaped, and that the first thing I'd do is tell someone."

"Mandalore? Is that where you took the _Twilight _earlier?"

Obi-Wan paused. "Sorry. The _Twilight _exploded."

Anakin wasn't about to ignore the cue. "Wait, isn't Mandalore where Satine…?

Obi-Wan tilted his face to the streaks of yellow trickling through the blinds, frantically trying to hide the glistening beads of tears racing down his face. The glint immediately netted Anakin's attention, but the Jedi Knight had ruled out the possibility that Obi-Wan would _ever _cry. And he had been unquestionably correct.

Right?

"Obi-Wan?" He asked urgently. The empty, clear silence greeted him once more. He surrendered to his stubborn nature, vying for a response for a second time.

"Obi-Wan?" He inquired a bit more gently. He clasped Obi-Wan's shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "Is everything all right?"

"Of course not!" Obi-Wan's rage flooded the room, clouded and muddled from his tears. "_Nothing _is all right! _Nothing!" _

The sudden act activated Anakin's instincts, initially throwing him back. Anakin steeled himself for another wave at the sight of Obi-Wan breathing in and out at a relaxing pace in a desperate attempt to ignore the flames of fury.

"It was Maul all along. He lured me to Mandalore." Obi-Wan panted. Pearly tears were still streaming from his eyes.

"He killed her." The words rushed out of Obi-Wan's mouth, near silent. "He killed her. I could have stopped it. I should have stopped it. There were a million different things I could have done. If only I'd _known._"

A quiet "Oh." escaped Anakin's lips as he felt a dusting of the melancholy that currently enveloped Obi-Wan's mind.

Anakin was familiar with one of Obi-Wan's more prominent faults- his guilt complex. His former master blamed himself for everything. Generally Anakin used this to his advantage- _Yes! It was his fault! I am completely innocent and not to blame whatsoever. It doesn't matter if I'm the common denominator in most disasters!-_ but as Obi-Wan's best friend, he was wary of the destruction this trait could wreak.

This felt different though. As though it actually _was _Obi-Wan's fault.

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin hesitated. He had never seen Obi-Wan show anything other than his usual stoic, sanguine attitude. Anakin knew emotion. He could talk to Ahsoka and Padmé about feelings. He could console people.

But on this train of thought, Anakin realized that Obi-Wan _didn't _know emotion. Somehow the Jedi was able to rationally comfort and support people, but when it came to his own feelings Obi-Wan was in uncharted territory. He didn't know what he was doing.

"Listen, I know this must be hard, but-"

"No." Obi-Wan argued. "You don't know. And pray you never will."

"Obi-Wan, you can't-"

"Yes, I can. I have to. Look, Anakin. I just caused the woman I love to die. This has simply gone too far! I need to end this."

"Killing him won't bring her back."

"I know!"

"So why are you throwing everything away to go after him?! You gave up her for _this. _Now that she's dead you're going to quit? That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Well, maybe I'm doing this precisely for those reasons. Because now isn't the time. Because I wish that I made this decision before! I need to go, Anakin!"

"I can't stop you, can I?" Anakin realized hopelessly. His mind was racing, searching in vain for another way to keep Obi-Wan there. It just didn't make any sense to leave in his position.

_That's the point though. Obi-Wan's beyond reason now, completely off the map. I can't win._

Obi-Wan's face slid out of his view for a second time. "No."

_What would Obi-Wan do? Apart from what he __is__ doing… How would normal Obi-Wan fix this?_

The subconscious wording of the question sparked an idea, slowly returning from orbit to rest in reality.

_I need to stall! If I can find a way to bring the regular Obi-Wan back, then he'll solve the problem by himself! Or, at the very least, he'll listen to reason…_

"Actually, you were wrong before. I _do _understand."

"Anakin-" Obi-Wan's breathless exclamation was clipped by Anakin's interjection.

"No. Because I do understand, I'm not going to try to stop you anymore."

The tension escaped Obi-Wan's shoulders, spiraling elsewhere and leaving the Jedi Master limp with relief.

"In fact, I'm coming with you."

"No. No, Anakin, I need to do this alone."

"I'm coming with you! You can make an unreasonable decision; I can make an unreasonable decision. That's called _equality, _Obi-Wan, and we're equals."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Sure."

_Sarcasm! That's a good sign, right?_

"But." Anakin raised his index finger. "_I_ am not leaving until tomorrow. I need to wrap up some things. That means that both you and I are staying one more night. Agreed?"

There was a fleeting expression of confusion on Obi-Wan's face from Anakin giving him orders. "Agreed."

"Good night Obi-Wan." Anakin swiveled on his heel, making for the door.

"Anakin?"

Anakin turned his gaze hesitantly, bracing himself for another conflagration of Obi-Wan's emotions.

"Thank you."

Anakin bobbed his head in a nod, trying to regain control of the concern that had penetrated his thoughts.

[]o[]

"Anakin?"

Anakin raced for the door, fingers fumbling with the datapad at the sound of Obi-Wan's voice. In the face of the dreaded moment, Anakin wasn't sure what was more powerful- his relief from the answer being within grasp, or the paralyzing terror that his friend was beyond his help.

"Come in." Anakin braced himself for the worst as the Master entered the room.

"Listen." Obi-Wan displaced an auburn lock as he combed his fingers through his hair. "About last night… I'm sorry Anakin. I don't know what came over me."

Anakin felt the relief wash over him, embedding itself in his relaxed grin. He had cured Obi-Wan!

"It's fine. After all, it's only natural. And seeing you behaving naturally is a treat."

The ghost of a smile flickered on Obi-Wan's face. "I'm sure Satine would agree."

"About that… I'm really sorry Obi-Wan. I wish I could help."

"You already have. You made me come to my senses. And I am immeasurably grateful for that."

A proud grin stalked its way across Anakin's face.

"However…" Obi-Wan's hand trailed to his beard, walking through his thought process. "There is one question I have for you."

"Anything."

"If I had arrived here in the same state as last night, would you have come with me?"

Anakin considered this. "Well, if I still wasn't able to convince you otherwise, and you were completely serious…

Yes."

I totally friend-ship these two. REVENGE OF THE SITH NEVER HAPPENED!

Feel free to comment on what you thought. (and now to contradict that) Please refrain from flames, trolling, and other forms of hate. Thank you for reading!


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